


Home of the Brave

by crookedspoon



Series: Feed Me, Also, River God [26]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Goodbyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3774094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedspoon/pseuds/crookedspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friendship also means letting go sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home of the Brave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalisgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalisgirl/gifts).



"You're leaving Starling?" 

Sin tried to keep her tone disinterested, but couldn't keep the surprise out of it. This didn't look like the chaos preceding the choosing of apparels for a two-week trip to the Bahamas. Roy's apartment was bare, stripped down, taken apart, as if everything had fallen from the shelves like during the earthquake last year. Fallen and neatly piled itself into moving boxes.

She shouldn't be surprised. He's mentioned leaving before he became the Arrow's little helper guy. That part-time occupation wouldn't have been able to pin him down forever, although it certainly kept him longer than she'd expected. Something about the adrenaline and doing something that mattered, she assumed.

"When were you going to tell me?" she asked, stemming her hands against her tiny waist and squaring her shoulders, as if to physically prevent them from walking out the door. Roy exchanged a look with Thea. "Oh, right. Let me guess: never."

This was like a repeat performance of how Sara did things. There and gone in a flash. At least she said goodbye last time. What excuse did they have?

"We did tell you," Thea said, frowning, and folded another hoodie into a box. "Didn't you check your phone? We were beginning to wonder if you're mad with us."

"If anything," Sin quipped and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, "I'm mad _about_ you." Flipping open the cover, she made as if to check for any mails, then wiggled it at them. "Nope. Battery's dead. Been dead for a while. Got a charger for this thing?"

"Not for your rusty old model," Roy answered at the same time as Thea said, "You can't blame us for technical difficulties."

"And what?" Sin said, mock-affronted. She'd missed bantering with them and would enjoy it to the fullest while she still could. "You just wait until I catch you on your way to the airport before you try other channels?"

"The airport's a long way off on our to-do list," Roy said, dusting off one of the empty shelves. "We're still just packing."

"Duh. That much I can see," Sin said and nudged one of the boxes with her sneakers. She relaxed her shoulders, dropped her hands to her sides, gestured around. The apartment was a work in progress and this bustling around in it made her feel useless. "Need some help?"

"What, so you can steal all my stuff?" Roy teased, but showed her what went into which box. Sin was impressed – he actually had a system! Most of them were just filled with clothes or personal items, not kitchen appliances or similar. Perhaps they were going to pack Thea's household items and throw out Roy's. Probably not the worst idea if you asked Sin, seeing as most of them must have been handed down from his grandmother, or _her_ grandmother even.

"All I want from you is your PS, Abercrombie," Sin said, eyeing the item in question where it still stood hooked to the TV. "It's got all my high scores on it."

"You're free to copy them to a flash drive."

"So you're not parting with it? What a shame. Does that mean you're quitting your crime-fighting days to become a regular couch potato?" She jabbed him in the shoulder. "Is he getting soft in his old age?" she asked Thea.

"We want to try and lead a normal life," Thea said, "away from all the crazy that's been breaking up our lives."

Sin could relate to that. Life in Starling City had never been rosy, but ever since Thea's brother returned from the dead, things have been... mixed up. Criminal masterminds, serial killers, and super-powered soldiers seemingly alternated at every corner. Street kids either got abducted or caught up in gang wars. Life had never been safe per se, but it was even less so now.

But Sin liked to dwell on other things, the good things, those that made all the bad times bearable.

"I'm going to miss this, hanging out with you and gaming away the last days of our youth. Man, even getting shot at was fun."

"You could come with us," Roy offered. "If you like."

"Are you planning to get shot at after all?" she grinned. "Tempting, but who's gonna watch over the Glades if you're gone? Starling wouldn't be the same without me," Sin laughed weakly. It wouldn't be the same without them either. Sara's absence is felt too, and not only by Sin. It had created a void so big another woman had to take up Sara's mantle and beat up criminals in her stead. "No, you go on ahead. This is my home, and I'd like to grow old here."

Much as she was used to moving around, Sin needed some constancy in her life. Foster homes did not really advocate a sense of belonging. Starling had always provided that, especially during the times she had been handed around from family to family, when well-meaning social workers tried to provide her with "a new home." 

"It's our home, too," Thea said, "but after Slade, after Malcolm... after everything that's been going on lately—"

"You need a fresh start. I get it. No need to spell it out for me. I'm gonna miss you, is all I'm saying."

Goodbyes were part of the cycle, and Sin had never deluded herself that they'd be anything less than inevitable. Even if she'd felt like she'd found a home with Roy and Thea. No, especially because of that. The moment you felt comfortable, it was over.

Plus, she owed people. She couldn't just skip out on them.

"You can always come visit," Thea said, hopefully.

Sin made a face and picked up a spray bottle from the window. "That depends on where you're going. I'm not hopping a plane across the Atlantic." She shook the bottle, then tossed it into the trash. "How do you even sit for twelve hours straight? I'll be fine with long-distance calls as long as you're paying."

"There's always Skype."

"Which has a really crappy connection."

"Sounds like you're giving us all the reasons to stay if we want to keep you."

"Hey," Roy interjected, "I was hoping – that is, if you really don't want to come with us – that you might want to move in here. My landlady would prefer it if I looked for a suitable new tenant and I immediately thought of you. Since you're always between places, and all."

Sin stopped in her tracks and looked around the apartment. "You mean just like that?"

"Yeah, sure. Just sign the new contract and you're good to move in. I'm sure she's going to like you. More than she did me in the beginning, in any case."

"She was right," Thea mused. "You _were_ a regular Prince Charming when we first met."

Roy ignored her. "So, what do you say?"

"Thanks, I guess?" Sin wasn't sure how she'd like living here, with all the memories haunting the place, or how she was going to pay for it. But it was a nice enough offer that she couldn't pass up because of her suspicious nature. "I'll sleep over it."

"Speaking of..." Thea said, walking closer. "I'd like to invite you over to my place once we're done here. You know, have a sleepover, just like old times. We kind of miss having you around."

Sin didn't hesitate. She knew it would certainly be wiser not to let them get too close again now that they had begun drifting apart. It would only hurt more when they left Starling – left Sin – for good. But Sin had never been one to let doubts like that stop her from anything. 

"I think I'd like that very much," she said, trying to suppress her smile. Thea hugged her.

"Thank you," she whispered, squeezing Sin tighter. "I was so worried you wouldn't want to talk to us anymore."

Sin chuckled and hugged back. "You can stop being silly now and quit your worrying."

"I'm glad you're still with us," Roy said and slung an arm around both girls..

"Unlike you, _I'm_ not going anywhere," Sin said and meant every word. "You'll always know where to find me."

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the title comes from a Hammerfall song, and yes, you may laugh if you so desire.


End file.
